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the necessary Nursing, Visiting and Clerical assistance, and is responsible for the following work
in his area:—
Control of Infectious Disease.
Maternity and Child Welfare Work; and
School Medical Work.
The fifth Assistant Medical Officer is employed in connection with Willesden Special Schools,
cases referred specially with a view to admission to Special Schools and Institutions outside Willesden
and the administration of anaesthetics for dental work.
Development of the School Medical Service.—The present organisation has been laid down
in Willesden with the view of placing under a single control the care of the child before birth, after
birth up to 5 years of age and during its school life, so that by the exercise of preventive measures
in the early years a minimum amount of work will be required later.
To attain this end it is necessary to have medical men and women of high attainments who
are as far as practicable permanent officers. Unfortunately during the war it has not been possible
to attain this end and it is not likely that the salaries now offered by the authority will attract either
men or women of high professional attainments or induce such if attracted to make the medical
service of the authority their life work.
Medical Inspection in the Schools is and has been in abeyance since December 3rd, 1915.
At the present time 3 age.groups or approximately 9,000 children per annum should be inspected
according to the Code. To carry this out and deal with the necessary additional cases which will
come under review for treatment will entail the employment of two additional Assistant Medical
Officers with nursing and clerical assistance.
Dental Work.—At the present time 2 Dentists are employed by the Authority, 2 Dental Clinic
Nurses and 2 Dental Visiting Nurses. The time of the Dentists is apportioned approximately 1:8,
as between Maternity and Child Welfare and School Medical Service. As a Dentist can keep in order
the teeth of 3,000 school children after they have once been put right the total number of Dentists
to be employed in the School Medical Service will be 8 with 8 Dental Nurses and 8 Visiting Nurses.
9. Medical Inspection and Treatment of Children Educated in Public Elementary
Schools.
(a) Proposals for inspection of children. With the Staff supplemented as above indicated
it will be practicable to undertake the Medical Inspection of the three age groups
of children required by the Code.
(b) Proposals for following up. Cases found at Medical or Dental Inspection to require
following up, either for observation or treatment will be referred by the Medical
or Dental Inspector to the Visiting Nurses acting under their control for this purpose.
Similarly cases referred by Head Teachers or others to the Medical Officer will be
referred to the Visiting Nurses for following up and such other action as may be
necessary.
(c) Proposals for Treatment, e.g., eyes, teeth, tonsils and adenoids, and minor ailments;
and remedial exercises:—Each Assistant Medical Officer holds Clinics as follows:—
Minor Ailments Daily.
Eyes Twice a week.
A part.time Eye Specialist at present attends fortnightly to see difficult Eye
cases specially referred to him by the Assistant Medical Officers.
Tonsils and Adenoids Twice a week.
A part.time Specialist attends fortnightly to see difficult cases of the Throat,
Nose and Ear or operative cases specially referred to him by Assistant Medical Officers.
He subsequently operates on cases requiring operation at the Municipal Hospital.
In addition the part.time Specialist for Diseases of the Skin attends once weekly
for the X.Ray treatment of Ringworm and to see Skin cases.
Hospital Treatment.—.A report on this subject has been already presented and
awaits the approval of the Board of Education. (Copy of report attached herewith).
Teeth.—At present each Dentist holds 10 Clinics weekly for the treatment of
teeth and 1 session weekly is devoted to dental inspection at the Schools. Cases
treated are kept subsequently under regular supervision as far as it is practicable
within the limits of the staff at present employed.
Remedial Exercises.—At present no provision is made for remedial exercises.
(d) Proposals for dealing with uncleanliness. At present the School Nurses make
dical inspections at the Schools and issue Private Notices to parents and follow up
all cases found to be nitty or verminous. In bad cases children with the consent